Wine building pressure but no release.

[The forager]

I have just started my first wine kit. Came home to it having exploded from the bucket. Airlock not bubbling. Tried removing and refitting lid and airlock and still no bubbles.

I can feel the pressure under the bucket / vessel lid though. Any ideas?

 

[lumpher]

How full did you fill the airlock with liquid? Half is plenty. Are you sure it's not a defective airlock, and gas can pass through it? Make sure the hole in the bottom of the airlock is drilled out and not plugged with residue, also. Sounds like the airlock isn't passing gas through the bunghole for some reason. Just a few thoughts to get started.

 

[The forager]

Thank you. Have changed the airlock and seems now that the wine is bubbling so fast into it that the airlock water has turned red. What should I do?

 

[Miraculix]

How full did you fill the airlock with liquid? Half is plenty. Are you sure it's not a defective airlock, and gas can pass through it? Make sure the hole in the bottom of the airlock is drilled out and not plugged with residue, also. Sounds like the airlock isn't passing gas through the bunghole for some reason. Just a few thoughts to get started.

I somehow never have problems to pass gas through the bunghole.

 

[The forager]

Ha thanks. It’s half full. I have cleaned the airlock and is still happening. Disaster.

 

[The forager]

Could I just cover it with cheesecloth instead?

 

[lumpher]

Yes, or you could use a blowoff hose, if you have (or can make) 1.

 

[The forager]

I’ll have to leave it as is until Saturday when I can go pick up a blow off hose and some syphon tube. Hopefully it won’t gather any bacteria by then. Very annoying.

 

[brewfrog]

I don't use an airlock, simply drilled a hole in bucket lid added a small metal screen which was hot glued in place. keeps out bugs the size of a quarter.

 

[Coffee49]

It shouldt be aggressively bubbling for more than 24 hrs no bacteria will enter if positive pressure release is happening, sometimes the grommet will allow gas to escape I wrap 3 layers of masking tape around the area of airlock that will merge with grommet that seems to ensure good seal

 

[The forager]

The wine is foaming out the hole where the grommet is.

 

[MPLS_Brewing]

Could you add a photo of your setup? It might help assess the source of your problem.

 

[DuncB]

or a video, but sounds like your bucket is very full. You normally get next to no krausen on wine wheras beer 30% headspace often not enough.

It won't be a disaster, how warm is it ?

 

[The forager]

This is a clean airlock but I’ve had to remove it as it’s bubbling over the top of it with wine.

I now just have a cheesecloth over the grommet from which the wine is still foaming out. You can see the lid is red from wine foam.

 

[MPLS_Brewing]

From the image, it appears that the vessel is too full. There is not enough room for the volume of your brew to expand before hitting your airlock.

 

[The forager]

From the image, it appears that the vessel is too full. There is not enough room for the volume of your brew to expand before hitting your airlock.

Thank you. I filled it to just about 23 litres as per the instructions. I’ll try taking some out and see what happens.

 

[The forager]

Just to say there is about a 2 litre gap between the wine and the lid and it takes some time for the pressure to fill that gap. But it does and then causes it to bubble out through the airlock hole.

 

[MPLS_Brewing]

The airlock is meant to let pressure escape in the form of bubbles. I'm assuming you don't mean that there is any debris or contents in your airlock other than the pressure being released.

 

[MPLS_Brewing]

If this is what you meant, it may be that you have a faulty seal possibly due to a crack in your grommet or seal.

 

[DuncB]

@MPLS_Brewing
OP does say that it was going red so the bubbles seen on lid were getting into the airlock.
That clear liquid could be overflow from the airlock.
I agree the fermenter is too full but just wait it out now. Top up the airlock as needed and keep wiping up and starsan spraying the mess.
In a couple more days it will calm down.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

I do a little wine, too. Long ago, I had a similar experience where I came home and found my glass carboy had overflowed after spraying the wall and curtains. Fortunately, I had wrapped a towel around the carboy to keep light out and warmth in; it absorbed most. Most fortunate was that I got home first and had it all cleaned up before the wife arrived. What I have done ever since is to never fill the carboy up to full recipe on start up. In a 5 gallon batch, I may withhold 2 gallons, and make a series of ½ gallon additions over multiple days after the initial action calms down a bit. So far, this has worked for me.
Also, take care if you are working with whole or mashed fruit in a bag, or similarly, sauerkraut which can swell to the point that it presses against the underside of the lid and closes your vent. If you fermenter has a going seal, it will blow the whole top off!

 

[skeeterman]

Could I just cover it with cheesecloth instead?

Cheesecloth might be a bit too porous. I would use a piece of old bed sheet or any other more closely woven fabric. Clean, of course. Fasten it down with a bungee cord or large rubber band.

 

[The forager]

Thank you all for your great advice. I took a trip back to the homebrew shop to get some extra equipment. The guy reckons because I put it on a heat mat to 20C that just over heated within the first 24 hours. Even though the method had advised 20C.

So I had taken it off the heat mat once I saw it had exploded but clearly took hours to cool down.

Left it overnight with the cheesecloth in place. Not much more came out through the vent hole so now I have the airlock back on. Hopefully all will be ok.